A baby typically sleeps in a crib for the first 18 to 36 months of his life. Standard cribs include an elevated mattress surrounded by vertical bars that are joined by a balustrade at the top. The vertical bars are evenly spaced at an interval that is narrow enough that the baby's head and body cannot fit through but wide enough that sufficient air circulation is allowed across the mattress of the crib. Adequate circulation is extremely important for babies as their developing bodies are particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of carbon dioxide and other breathable chemicals.
It is common for babies to shift and move while they are in their cribs. As such, a baby may wedge himself into a corner of the crib or against the bars. In an effort to prevent the baby from injuring himself against the bars of the crib, parents often line the crib with a padded bumper or with a liner. Such bumpers and liners are usually six to twelve inches tall and attach to the bars of the crib. The bumper or liner attaches to the inside of the crib and encompasses the perimeter of the mattress so that the baby is protected on all sides from injuring himself against the crib bars.
A problem arises in that as a baby shifts toward the edge of the crib mattress, there is a risk that his face might become wedged against the bumper or liner, thereby smothering him. Also, the bumper or liner decreases the amount of air that circulates across the mattress of the crib. This means that less oxygen moves into the crib, while carbon dioxide pools around the baby lying in the crib. The reduced air flow across the mattress may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a major concern for very young children.
Thus, there is a need for a baby crib bumper or liner that allows for increased air flow across the mattress while still providing a soft barrier around the interior of the crib such that the baby does not injury himself on the bars of the crib.